Chapter 45: Chapter 45

"Life prepares you so that you can create your happy ending".

Four months had passed, with numerous changes in Ayushi's body. She was now six-months pregnant, enjoying all the attention that her husband & family used to shower on her.

But her babies were the most elated. Suddenly they had become too responsible, in the excitement and jubilation for the arrival of a new baby. All-day long, they used to surround their mother, protecting her from any dangers, entertaining her, following her orders and the list is endless.

If Ayushi would just talk about a bar of chocolate, they'd immediately run-up to either their grandmother or their helpers, and complete the wishes of their mother, and Ayushi could just adore her babies, how merrily they used to complete all her wishes.

And talking about her husband, he had been transformed to the best husband, she could've ever wished for. Reminiscing those old days and the present days, it was hard to believe that the past Dhruv was the same husband of her who treated her like his queen, and even more than that, now.

Her family too had been a great support to her, pampering her to the fullest as this was the very first time that they were coddling their pregnant daughter-in-law, as in the past, they were far away from each other, but this time, they didn't miss a chance to adore their daughter.

Ayushi smiled, remembering all those sweet memories while lying on the bed rest with both her babies, resting on her lap. Dhruv was in his office, while the other family members were in their respective rooms. She just remembered how sweetly both her babies had asked for a head massage which they called 'Guzuguzu' in their baby language. She laughed remembering their cute voices and antics.

"Mumma, I am sleepy, please do Guzuguzu in my hair," Aranya had pouted and her brother had followed the suite, making Ayushi adore them more. That's how both of her teddy bears were relaxing now on their mother's lap, even in the late evening.

"So, how's my baby and my teddies?" Dhruv was finally back from the office, he immediately put his laptop bag inside the attached study room, and after freshening up, he was on the bed now, all cleaned up.

Ayushi just smiled at all the actions of her husband. He would never touch her or even the babies or for more clarity, anyone, before freshening up, a thing she had noted from the past twelve months that she had spent with him.

"So, how's my baby and my teddies?" he asked her again, but not before kissing her lips, gently. Another habit of his, which she was habituated to as well.

"Your baby is all good and keeps on craving for more and more sweets, and your teddies are gleeful as well, just see how adoringly they are sleeping now," she smiled at her husband who was busy in drawing circles at her tummy, caressing her softly, knowing very well, that she loved that.

The unborn baby was named 'Baby' and his other two bundles of joy were known as 'Teddies'.

"And how's my wife?" he moved closer to her, taking her in his arms, kissing on her chin.

"I am getting bored, resting all day at the house," she pouted, after shifting her babies gently on the bed, as her legs were sore now.

"Offo! Then why don't you call Payal or Alka sometimes? Or even go for a walk with Maa?" Dhruv pinched her cheeks lightly, making her glare at him. No doubt, his traits had been only transferred to their daughter, Aranya.

"But a day has 24-hours, how can I always call someone or walk with Maa?" she questioned him while snuggling closer to him, feeling the warmth and affection from her husband.

"That's a big concern," Dhruv too hummed after taking out something from his back, which he had hidden so perfectly from her. He covered her eyes, even without notifying her.

"Dhruv, what's this?" she nearly shrieked, at his sudden action.

"Sssh, don't panic. I have something for you, just be patient," he whispered slowly, drawing patterns on her tummy again, calming her down in his own way.

"Now open your eyes," he whispered and removed his hand from her eyes.

Ayushi was flabbergasted when she looked at the surprise gift in front of her. The tears of joy, wonder, and euphoria started pouring out from her beautiful eyes. She couldn't believe what she saw!

"Ayushi Singh Rajput - The Woman of the year, 2020"

The Time magazine read, on which one of her most beautiful photographs was imprinted on the cover page.

"How? I mean, how is it possible?" she had trouble whispering her words out, as she was too exhilarated to bring out any phrases from her vocal cords.

"Because you deserve it, wifey," he breathed out in pride and glee.

"But how come I didn't know about any of this?" Ayushi's questioning eyes didn't go unnoticed by him and he was ready to accept the fact that he had personally met the Chief Editor of TIME Magazine, who was also his friend at Harvard, to have a word with him, for the surprise that he was planning for his wife.

"So?" Dhruv asked her after explaining all the surprise things. Ayushi couldn't thank the lord enough for giving her Dhruv as her life partner.

"You don't know how lucky I am feeling now, I have no words," and she embraced him tightly in her arms, letting her tears flow freely.

Crying is a way your eyes speak, and her happy tears had proved how gleeful and thankful she was.

"I have another surprise for you as well," he whispered and Ayushi immediately looked at him in question and confusion.

"Tomorrow you're going to be interviewed by one of their prominent editors," he disclosed and Ayushi hadn't a word to say anymore. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish and Dhruv had to close it for her, smiling at her sweetly.

"At my request only, they are arriving here in India, to interview you, along with other women, whom you have saved from the atrocities of those Thakurs," Dhruv revealed further and Ayushi couldn't thank him enough for giving her the biggest surprise of her life.

"I love you so much," she kissed on his lips, with all her love, affection, and tenderness, which he too reciprocated with his rough kiss, full of love and desire for her.

(This is just a part of my imagination, no advertisement or something like that for TIME)

****

Ayushi's interview with Berry Jenner -the editor-in-chief of TIME Magazine was a hit, all around the globe. People were admiring her for the things she had done for the welfare of the society, its women, saving them from the hands of the monsters who were still lynching behind in the form of humans.

Even she had been invited for TED talks by many platforms, but because of her pregnancy, Dhruv had postponed all of that, fearing the safety of his wife as well as his unborn baby. As we say, the more famous and wealthier you are, the more alert you have to be, all the time!

It was the night time now, and the very next day, their teddies would be three-years-old, finally. Yes, it was their birthday, tomorrow.

"You remember Dhruv when they asked us, why was I turning fatter day-by-day?" Ayushi was beside Dhruv now, in his arms, while their kids had already slept, hugging each other tightly, the twinkling stars of their lives.

"Haha, yeah, I still remember how they had asked me, whispering so lightly, so that you couldn't hear," Dhruv laughed heartily, remembering that day.

~

"Daddy, why is Mumma turning so bigger & bigger?" Aranya had whispered in her father's ears, showing 'bigger' using her hands, emphasizing that. She had thought that her mother had slept and that's why in the night, she had asked her father. Dhruv had a hearty laugh at his daughter's question.

Kids are the most innocent creation of God!

"Yes, Daddy, and she doesn't even carry us in her arms," Agastya too pouted from the other side, matching the tone as his sister, looking expectantly at his father.

"Wait! Yes, so I will tell you why," Dhruv took out his phone from the nearby side-table and tapped on YouTube. He typed 'newborn baby', while his teddies just looked at his mobile screen, not knowing even a bit of the black letters that their father was typing on the thing which they had named as 'Mobo'.

"What are you doing on Mobo, daddy?" Aranya asked him while hugging her father, tightly.

"Wow! Is he a baby, daddy? He is so cute," Dhruv had opened the video of a small baby, who was smiling at the camera and making cute noises, which amazed his teddies. For sure they had seen babies, but not this small.

"Yes, and this baby is inside your mother's tummy, that's why she is chubby," Dhruv tried to explain to them and they just stared at him in shock.

"Mumma ate this cute baby?" Aranya and Agastya both shouted at the same time now gotten up from their sleeping position, with their hands on their mouth, not believing that their mother could eat a baby!

"No, no, no my teddies, she didn't eat the babies. Every baby is given by the God in mother's tummies and after some months, the babies come out of their mother's tummy," Dhruv was shocked too when he had heard his teddies' understanding of the concept of babies and pregnancy. He had a good laugh at their shocking faces.

"How did babies enter inside her, Daddy?" Agastya had asked, while Dhruv could only sigh at their innocent-seeming adult questions.

"Babies were small like this," he took out a nearby ball that he found on the side table with a big football as well.

"Then after eating food, they started becoming big, like you too had grown up, right?" Now he showed the big football, while the small ball was in his other hand.

"So, God gave a ball to Mumma which was small in size, which she ate, then this ball is getting bigger and bigger because it eats food, which is eaten by Mumma, right, Daddy?" Aranya again asked her father, after turning his face towards her.

Having no further explanation, Dhruv just nodded his head, smiling at his daughter who was looking at the tummy now, caressing it with her baby hands along with Agastya.

"Baby, I am your big sister, and I love you so much," she kissed her mother's tummy sweetly while Agastya kissed her mother's forehead.

"Mumma, you are giving us another baby, I love you so much," he kissed her forehead again.

"Silly, kiss the baby, it's here," Aranya directed her brother to come towards their mother's tummy side, to kiss the unborn baby who was apparently inside their mother's tummy.

"I was kissing Mumma because she is giving us another baby," Agastya tried to explain, while Dhruv could just feel proud and euphoric for having such adorable and intelligent kids.

"Then I will kiss her for one, two, four times," Aranya too started kissing her mother, using the vague knowledge of counting that she had learnt from her grandmother.

"I will kiss for more times," Agastya too started kissing her mother on her cheeks while Aranya continued as well. And with their sweet kisses only, Ayushi's siesta broke. She saw how she was surrounded by her babies, who were busy planting kisses all over her face while her husband was occupied in shooting their video, with his hearty laughs in between.

"I love Mumma more, so I will kiss her more," Aranya stubbornly spoke out, while coming directly in her mother's arms.

"You don't even know how to count. So, I will kiss her more," Agastya too was now in her arms, making her lie again on the bed while continuing to kiss and hug her.

Ayushi could just laugh at their antics and the tingling feeling she was getting because of their soft kisses. Dhruv immediately got near them and clicked a beautiful selfie with his adorable and sweet family, who were his life now.

"I love you both, so much," she kissed on their cheeks and after many days, both her babies were sleeping in her arms.

"And I love you all," Dhruv hugged them all, in his sleeping position, with a smile adorning his face.

~

"They are the most adorable kids," Ayushi elucidated while looking at their innocent-sleeping figure.

"Yes, they are, by the way, Dad has organized a big birthday party for them, tomorrow, and my dear wifey, you aren't allowed to even go outside this room before the party, everything will be organized by others, you don't have to take any tension for that," Dhruv warned her and Ayushi could just look at him with her innocent eyes, trying to persuade him but Dhruv didn't budge.

"Your innocent eyes are not going to work now, baby," he kissed her softly, after winking at her.

"I want a pizza, a big cheesy pizza," Ayushi's pregnancy hormones suddenly kicked in and Dhruv looked at her in shock!

"But baby at this hour, which shop will be open?" he had asked her in return.

"Then you can bake it," she kissed on his cheeks, massaging his neck with her soft hands.

"Okay, let's get inside the kitchen now," he immediately stood up and before Ayushi could keep her feet on the soft and fluffy rug, Dhruv had already taken her in his arms.

"No way I am allowing you to walk all the stairs down," he whispered and they both entered inside the kitchen, while all the time, Ayushi kept staring at him in adore and love.

"You know how to make a pizza?" she had asked him after he made her sit on the counter, with a cushioned stool under her feet.

"Yes, my beautiful wife, Dadi's task for me had installed a new hobby in me. Now, I love cooking, and I love it more when I cook for you," he explained after giving a peck on her lips.

"How our life has changed so much, I hadn't even ever thought of seeing you again in my life at one point of time and now we are here, with our six months of pregnancy together, already," her eyes started tearing up, looking at her husband who was so changed now.

"Sssh, don't cry. You know right, that how much it hurts me when I see your tears?" Dhruv immediately got near her, wiping her tears, which were flowing down uncontrollably.

"I had not even thought of ever fighting back with someone, but now here I am, who had fought for so many women out there that I am even being awarded for that, applauded for that," Ayushi's words were true, extremely true.

No one could believe that she was the same Ayushi who was tortured, beaten and what not!

"And I love this Ayushi who's so bold, confident and independent," with that being said, he immediately took her mouth in his, kissing her with all his love.

"Kids!" a shriek immediately made them leave each other and they saw that their mother was now standing at the doorstep of the kitchen, with her back facing them.

Ayushi and Dhruv were too shy to even call her back, even after moving away from each other.

"Dhruv, please give me a jug of water, your father is suddenly feeling too hot inside the room," Pratibha herself turned towards them, after a good two minute, now smiling teasingly at her daughter.

"Enjoy all the care & love he's showering on you, you have every right on him and you deserve that, child," she kissed on her forehead and after taking the jug from her son's hands, got away.

"Continue," at the end, she winked at them and finally moved outside the kitchen.

"Maa is so jovial and open," Ayushi chuckled and started cutting the onions which they were going to sprinkle on their cheesy pizza.

"Yeah, because loving your wife inside your kitchen is not a sin," before Ayushi could comprehend his words, he already took her lips in his for another passionate kiss.

"My pizza," she spoke in between the kiss, and then Dhruv realised that they just forgot that mission for which they had come inside the kitchen.

"Now, don't distract me," he commented naughtily and started preparing for the pizza.

"Huh! You are distracting me," and she glared at him, playfully.

****

"Mumma, where is Alka Masi? Why hadn't she come yet?" The birthday party of Aranya and Agastya had already started, while only their Arjun Uncle and Alka Masi had not come yet, that's why their cakes were still untouched.

"Baby, she will come in a little while," Ayushi had commented while looking anxiously at the entrance.

"Where are they? Did you call him?" Makshik asked Dhruv while trying to call them himself, but their number was unreachable.

"Their number is unreachable," Dhruv had commented.

"I think you both should cut the cakes, the guests too are waiting for so long," it was Payal this time who too was saddened, seeing the gloomy faces of her niece and nephew.

"No, we will not cut it until Alka Masi is here," Agastya replied, stubbornly.

Their birthday party was taking place in an open hall, under the open sky.

And then suddenly out of nowhere two small pups started running towards them, which they had met a few days ago in their Alka Masi's house. It meant they too had arrived.

The pups immediately got near Aranya and Agastya and started playing with them. All the guests too adored the pups who were too cute and playful.

"Hi di," finally Alka and Arjun arrived with a big gift box for their teddies.

"Happy Birthday my baby boy and baby girl," Alka immediately hugged her niece and nephew, followed by Arjun as well.

Along with them, came another couple.

Ananya & Keshav, the very couple who had supported Ayushi and Dhruv in their hard times. Alka had facilitated all their travels, to bring the lost best friends together.

Ayushi was exhilarated, flabbergasted and what not. She couldn't believe that her best friend was here whom she had left long ago.

Both the friends cried in each other's arms, and finally, after a few moments, they got ready to cut the cake, after sharing the greetings with others.

"Now, we can finally cut the cakes," the kids finally cut the cake after washing their hands, and the pups too sang in the background, their smiling eyes and barks were the proof.

Finally, after the guests had gone, all the family members sat together, under the open sky, with a screen in front of them which was set up by none other than Payal and Makshik, playing the story of a woman, whose journey was named as:

Broken from Birth,

is finally, united at heart!

~**•⁕•**~

The End

~

Yes, guys, finally this book is completed and I am crying now, seeing the end of this book. Thank you so much for supporting me in this journey, thanks to all the voters, commenters, silent readers as well, to give this book a chance!

I have not even thought that it'd be read by anyone, but forget that, it has already crossed 490K views! I cannot thank you enough for this!

Still, thank you so much, guys!

~**•**~